Running a successful janitorial and cleaning business requires many things. You must offer quality services, be reliable and trustworthy, and build strong relationships. Additionally, staying up to date with the latest cleaning technologies and industry trends can give a competitive edge.
Overall, running a successful cleaning business requires hard work, dedication, and strategic planning.
Another factor that is vital to the success of your cleaning business is time and schedule management. Proper time management can lead to increased productivity. It also helps with improved customer satisfaction and efficiency.
How can a cleaning business balance staff schedules, client demands, and business needs for the best results? There are several strategies, tools, and insights to help you maximize productivity in your cleaning business such as:
Invest in Technology
Invest in your business. It doesn’t have to be costly and can help you in the long run. There are many effective tools that can help you manage your time. Furthermore, your staff will thank you.
How can your cleaning businesses effectively manage time and schedules? One of the key elements is using good technology. Invest in a scheduling software such as ezClocker. It is ideal for remote employees or if you need to monitor your staff away from the office. Your team can view their schedules in real-time and find the location of a job site.
ezClocker offers GPS technology too. You can ensure your staff is clocking in/out at the right location. Furthermore, you can create your team’s schedule right in the app.
When starting a new business, time is gold. A new owner has to spend time on many tasks.
Lauren Pool of Pristine Property Services would ask her staff to write down their clock in and out times at first. However, she found that several staff members would clock in before they were at the job site. She also rounded up times using her Notes app on her phone. She estimates that she lost hundreds of dollars a week on payroll. It also cost her a lot of time. She constantly had to check with her staff to see what times they worked at a house.
Another cleaning business recommended ezClocker. They said it was affordable and easy to use. She looked at other time-tracking apps, but they didn’t have all the features she needed. For example, some didn’t have the GPS feature that she wanted. Once she and her partner found ezClocker, they were hooked. They have invested the money they saved back into their staff. This allows them to give bonuses and gift cards.
Need an Affordable Time Clock App for Your Employees?
Plan and Prioritize Your Time
Planning your jobs and work schedules will help you with time management and can help save money. For example, Allan Dalangin of Gecko Solutions, Inc. uses ezClocker for his cleaning company. One feature he really likes is the job code feature. Allan uses this to assign a unique code to each building. When he used it with ezClocker’s GPS feature, Allan could see exactly how long his crew was taking to clean each building.
This yielded some surprising data. For example, Allan had billed one site as a four-hour job for one person. ezClocker showed that employees often left early, even though Allan was still paying them for the full four hours. So, Allan put two people on the job for one hour. The move saved him money each month.
Planning your time and staff schedules helps your business and your staff. It ensures that critical tasks are addressed. This will contribute to improved customer satisfaction.
Run Your Business from Anywhere
As a business owner, you can run your business from anywhere with a good scheduling system. You don’t have to be concerned with coming into the office to schedule your jobs and team. You can do that by simply using the app. If you are traveling and an employee requests off, you can simply make the changes right from your phone.
Change Schedules Anytime
While having a structured schedule is essential, it’s equally important to have flexibility. Unexpected events may arise, requiring quick adjustments. A flexible schedule allows your cleaning business to adapt to sudden events without giving up overall efficiency.
Online scheduling also allows you to change schedules anytime. Plus, your staff will be notified of the changes immediately. You want your business to be productive. You also want to identify ways you can save money. Another great feature of ezClocker is that your staff can’t clock in early without a manager’s permission. This will prevent overtime. By using a good scheduling software, you should see the benefits that help you save money.
Implement Time Management Skills
Effective time management contributes to improved service delivery and customer satisfaction in a cleaning business. By scheduling the right staff for the right job and cleaning job, you prevent time waste too. Place everything on your calendar. Time management is important for every person regardless of whether you are just starting in your career or you are an entrepreneur.
One method to improve your time management is time blocking.
Time blocking involves allocating specific blocks of time to different types of tasks. For a cleaning business, this could mean dedicating mornings to routine cleaning, afternoons to specialized services, and evenings to equipment maintenance. Time blocking enhances focus and prevents time wastage. How can time blocking help your cleaning business?
Regularly Review and Adjust Schedules
As mentioned above, using a scheduling software can help you know where your staff is at all times. A proactive approach to time management involves regularly reviewing and adjusting schedules. Monitor the performance of your cleaning teams. You should evaluate the efficiency of their schedule. Make adjustments to address any inefficiencies.
Maintaining a delicate balance between client demands and business needs is crucial. Your cleaning schedules should align with the expectations of your clients and your business needs. Open communication with your clients and your staff can help manage expectations. It also helps to build long-term relationships.
Invest in Training
How do you train new staff? Properly trained staff is more likely to complete tasks efficiently. This will reduce the likelihood of errors and delays. Invest in ongoing training programs for your cleaning teams. This keeps them updated on industry best practices, new technologies, and safety protocols.
You will create more time for yourself when your staff is trained well. At first, developing your training program and processes may seem difficult. However, making a process book will help with quality and training. Involve your top cleaners to help as well. Your best people may appreciate the extra hours to help develop the processes. Once you have your systems and processes in place, the job will become more automated. This will help you with training your new staff.
Delegate Responsibilities
You may have team members who want to be leaders. As a business owner, you want to focus on high-level tasks. Learn how to delegate to your staff. Assigning tasks based on individual strengths and expertise can boost productivity. Recognize the strengths of your cleaning staff and delegate. This not only improves the quality of service but also ensures that each team member is engaged in tasks that align with their skills.
Final Thoughts
Using a scheduling software not only streamlines the scheduling process but also minimizes errors. It also reduces miscommunication. Additionally, it helps to prevent your staff from being frustrated. Use technology, prioritize tasks, and stay flexible and organized to improve efficiency. This will impress customers too. Furthermore, a well-managed schedule benefits your business and also contributes to a positive impression on your clients. Your team will also appreciate the investment in a scheduling app. It is a low-cost addition that will save you and your staff a lot of time.
